Should You Visit Chimpanzees and Gorillas in the Wild?
Dear Reader,
Did you know that field research – and, where possible, regulated tourism – are two of the best measures to protect chimpanzees and gorillas in the wild?
From time to time, I receive emails from concerned individuals asking whether it’s really a good idea for humans to enter the forests to visit great apes in their natural habitat. Ideally, of course, it would be best if we could leave the forests untouched and let nature take its course.
Unfortunately, this is wishful thinking, because illegal loggers and poachers do not follow the rules. A research station with rangers and scientists who are out in the forest every day, observing the great apes and patrolling the area, reduces the likelihood of illegal activity in that region by more than 90%.
The same applies to well-regulated chimpanzee and gorilla tracking, which you can experience, for example, in Uganda. In areas where such activities are offered, the great apes are significantly better protected than elsewhere. Thanks to the income from tourism — which in Uganda also benefits the local population — and the job opportunities it creates as field assistants, rangers, or trackers, the forest gains a completely new value. It becomes a source of income — but only if it is preserved.
When this is further supported by environmental education for children and adults living on the edge of the forests, it becomes increasingly possible to inspire people to protect nature.
Stress analyses conducted on chimpanzees in Uganda have shown that the presence of researchers or tourists does not disturb them. As long as rest periods, distance regulations, and hygiene rules are strictly followed, tourism can significantly advance the protection of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
Gorilla tourism in the tri-border area of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo, as well as in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest, has led to an increase in the gorilla population from around 450 to 1,068 individuals over the past 35 years.
If you would like to contribute to the protection of chimpanzees and gorillas, book an unforgettable journey to Uganda with us.
Sincerely,
Daniel C. Hänni
Chimpanzee Researcher / Anthropologist